Aim to keep old traditions alive through documentaries: Ashutosh Pattnaik

Odisha’s Ashutosh Pattnaik recently accepted National Award for Best Art & Culture Film for his directorial short film ‘Shrikshetra Ru Sahijata’ at the 67th National Film Awards.

During a conversation with Celebrity Club, Ashutosh said, “There are many hidden cultures in our state which have to be explored. So, as a filmmaker, it’s my duty and honour to add the flavours of my own culture and tradition into my short films. I am happy that I got a chance to represent my locality, my birthplace Puri.”

“Nothing could have been possible without the hard work and dedication of my entire team and the cinematographer Soumya Mohanty, sound designer Parag Kumar Behera, editor Biswajeet Paital and of course without the blessing of Lord Jagannatha and my well-wishers,”  he added.

On being asked about the concept behind the name of his short film, Ashutosh said, “Sahi Jata is nothing without Shrikshetra and Shrikshetra is connected with Sahi Jata. Both the words are interconnected so, I thought the title would be fitting.”

Talking about the core story behind ‘Sahi Jata’ Ashutosh narrated, “The century-old culture, Sahi Jata is basically a play/open-air folk theatre/Jatra that is organized during Rama Navami. As the Ramayana consists of seven chapters, artisans from Seven different lanes (Sahi) participate in the play dressed up as several characters from the greatest Hindu epic. They roam on the streets of Puri and teach lessons from the Ramayana to the local residents and tourists.”

“Inspite of being a resident of Puri, I myself was unaware of this play. But as soon as I found out, it really excited me and I thought of making a documentary on it. So, I tried to visualise and portray each and every detail in a 19-minute 25-second video,” the newest National Award-winning director from Odisha said.

Talking about the documentary ‘Shrikshetra Ru Sahijata’, it has been applauded at state and international levels too. Earlier, it had bagged a 1st prize at the third Chitra Bharati film festival in Gujarat, received a special Jury Mention at the Noida International Film festival and also screened at JDCA’s film festival.

Explaining not having plans for big-budget films, Ashutosh said, “My zone is short films because I feel more challenged there. It takes only a few minutes to make people understand anything. So, why not make a series of short stories to spread knowledge and awareness among people!”

On being asked about things in which the Ollywood Industry lacks, Ashutosh said, “The main problem with big banner movies is the budget. Even if the filmmakers have good ideas for their movies, due to lack of proper budget, they fail to represent films in a proper way.”

Being the only son among three sisters, Ashutosh has had a loved and pampered childhood. His mother had been his backbone throughout his film making journey.

“My mother always guided and motivated me in every situation. Be it in my success or depressing situations, she always showed me a path to follow my dreams,” Ashutosh proudly said.

Apart from directing documentaries, Ashutosh loves to capture stories through his photographs, make crafts from waste products and write lyrics. Two of his most recognized song lyrics are- ‘Ei Faguna re’ and ‘Cupe Cha’.

Before this movie, there are a few popular short ad films by Asutosh. ‘The Butterfly’ in Odia, a story about girl child discrimination, was awarded third prize at Kallola Film Festival. His ‘Tara Can’ received the first prize in the 5-minute category in ‘We Care Film Fest’. ‘Sanjog’ which is about disability and ‘Meera’ about the transgender community were his other remarkable works.

Ashutosh later shared a few valuable tips for students who are aspiring to become short filmmakers. He said, “If you want to make short films, you have to focus on four things- you must be clear about the concept, do proper research, add creativity and put your own thoughts. Only then you will get good output in your films.

Talking about his upcoming projects, director Ashutosh Pattnaik has a bunch of documentaries which will be about different cultures of the state.

“All the districts of Odisha has their own culture and traditions. So I have plans to release each and every hidden thing through my films in my own way.”

Interview Conducted by: Pratika Priyadarshini

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